Timing mechanism for automatic folders



Sept- 6, 1955 H. D. ABELI. ET AL 2,717,153

TIMING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC FOLDERS original Filed April 27, 1949 s sheets-sheet l Fig. 3

Homer E. Abell 81 Norman R. Heald INVENToRs ATToR EY sePt- 6, 1955 H. D. ABELL ET AL 2,717,153

TIMING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC FOLDERS I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. D. ABELL ET AL TIMING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC FOLDERS Sept. 6, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet C5 Original Filed April 27, 1949 HarryED. Abell Homer Abell 8 Norman R. Heald INVENTORS BY ATTORNE United States Patenti) ;TIMINGMECHANISMnomAU'coMATlc Romans i L Harry D. :Abell @warmer-n'. AAbell; scf-mmm, and

" This finven'tionfrelatesLtdfolding @machines otthetype in which sheetk materialf such laslamidercd iarticles; is 1 automatically-' folded at--v one or-amore defini-te =fractions-fof its length. Such#machineswarefinsfgeneralfLwell known, andy embody-` a conveyorta'pe system tof carryfthe aiftlcles through-the machine;l lone orfrnore lfol'dingbldes operat- Ispeed isl proportionali tof a` half Lor al'thirdfof 'thatof lthe sheet,- andthen couplingfthefarmeto aflflllspeedf'merr'lber until it lreaches* -a predetermindfposition'fwherel itJ causes actuation ofthe! folder. further objectfeisrto produce a timingtdevice which is sli'ticientlylcompact-to -be mounted closely adjacent andepreferbly within thefendlessi-belts vwhich convey the materiall throuighrthe machine. -A-'fur ther object-isflfto lprovide-a1timingifdeviceihailing positive means for preventing "the release-l of^the'rotating-arms due toY the= pressure exerted by aeipluralityeof l'them' when piled up aga-insttheireleasingMmechanism. dditional objects willgappear fromethe-following description :and claims.

The -invention =will 'now*" be described* -'withreference 'to theaccompanying drawingsin which *Fig 1 vis a"side--elevation;;-partlyin'section, ofaifolder with its associated timingidevice;

Fig. 2 isa section ori-line 2-"g2 ofiFigf'l; Fig. 3 is a section Online 3-i3 ofFig.' 1; A "Fig 4 is a central l sectionthrough theftiming mechamsm;

^ Fig. 5is a section 'onl'line'S-LLS'FFig: 4; Fig. 6 is asection online of Fig. 4; Fig. i7 is alperspe'ctive view*of'acontrolfinger with' its pawl and friction plate-removed;

Fig. 8 1is a perspective -vieweofthe -corrtrol'lngerf'pawk Fig. 9 is a perspective lview oflthe controlnge friction Plate;

Fig.l 10 is a'view on line 1Y0- 1'0 f Fig;` 1-1; Fig.A l1 Iis `an enlarged-:viewgon line'fIl-fllf'f Fjg.'f-1;4; Fig. 'l2 is a-section online-12in of`Figf14; Fig.l3 is asectionA oni 1linc;'13-1f3 f Fgfllgeand Fig. 14 is a section online 14;114f-1ig.4.

`The e nature @and operation 'Lofi` the timingv-mechanism within'the control"boxesf50rwll2nowb described. This mechanism has "forA itsipurpose'rthe.: measurementofffthe length` of: a sheet, vand the-:actuation 'ofi a'vfolder'- t-the instantLwhen-fthe h'alfforfffthid pointl'ofY the isheetl'isbin the-correctl position. 'lBroclly-this isdon'elinthesusual=way Y 2,111,153 iPatented Sept.` 6 1955 ICC Lby coupling anactuating ann to a member whose speed is proportionak to a half or a"'thir'd of that ofthe sheet, and then "couplingthe'armto a"fll speed'rnember untiljit reaches'a' predetermined position where it causes actu- ;'ationof the folder. lSeveral arms` are employed in order that'several articlesmay be in process simultaneously, and it 'isnecessary to Lrelease the' .foremost ofthe piled vup Varms `oneiat a-^time while holding backthe remainder. In thepresentmachine an improved escapement has been provi-ded for this purpose .which prevents accidental release Aofrarmswhere `several are piled up. "Before describing its operation it will be necessary to consider other mechanical -devices inthe control box The" box is made in two halves`57.whi'ch can Abe`die-ca'st -'in identical form, although Slightly `diierent"finishing operations Vare required, and which are held in' any desired lway on 'opposite sides of a central partition"58`which serves as abearing. "The drive -shaft56` has. a'20-too`th gear 59 meshing with :i60-tooth. gearl60 press-littedvon a sleevei 614 'rotatable on a'longitudinally movable shaft'62. `Surrounding sleeve 61is a stationary sleeve .63 havillg a shoulderbearing against the side of the casingand also `having grooves" 65 (Fig-5) to accommodate the heads of -set screwsthreaded into the box wall to keep thesleeve 'from'.eitherendwise or rotary motion. Thesleeve 63 has Aa"pair*of slanting grooves 67 receiving pins 63 attached `to airocker .69. .This. rocker* has a recess'70 to receive a washer71 anda springwasher 72 fitting into a groove '73,' so thatjthehead`74 ofthe shaft 62.and the rocker^69 are coupled together for longitudinal motion. The purpose "off'the rocker is tormove 'the shaft inand out,"`thus ^operating clutch mechanism to.be described, and the "seeminglyelaborate mechanismr'foria'simple .inotionlis-.due to*theidesirability of controlling thev several boxes' fromthe side vof themachine by a rockinghandle located there.

At itsinner end'shaft 62 carries a.cross .pin"75`(Fig. 6) projecting through slotsI 76 (Fig.y 4) .inthe rotarysleeve '61 into -engagement with `clutch teeth"77 or78 mountedv regspectivelyl on;a lftoothE gear`79 and a 40-too`th gear'fSO. The :sleevel tilibeingv functionally integral with gear 60, mo- 'tiolr at `the: angulanspeed "of.that gear is imparted tofeither `gear'79 orgear 80, depending onthel longitudinlposi tion ofshaft 62. Geen-"79 is in mesh withY airing .gearl'Sl of 72 teeth, and.gear.80 is in mesh with aringgear 820i 80 teeth; both riveted at {53h-to` a.h1`1b"84. mounted on a cross "'shft85. The'shafts pinned at 86toa 60-tooth-gear87 in"mesl:1"1vvithVV the gear- 60,.-and at"88 to a sleeve 89. 'To thisfsleeve"is.press'tted a di'sk9i)V having itsperiphery forrnedw'ithne teeth* 91. `On thelhnb`84 is screwed at 92 a`dislC`93 having its periphery.rolled over at 9416 hold afriction ring 795. Depending upon'the positionf 'shaft 62 the'hub84 andthe frictiondisk' 93 are'driven at 1/2 ,or '2/31 the speedbfcshaftiSS andthe toothed `disk"90. The idisks"`93 and 90 are used'todrive control armsl which will nowlbe described.

Around"'sleeve89 is a"sleeve l96 held. ag`ain`stv rotation byaipiri key"97 fastened in the casing wall. A sho'ulder 498 serves'as a bearing upon which Ymay turn a 'plurality ofcontrol armsitily preferably stamped from "sheet metal. "Ihese'e'are alledentical except for-"thedilfering 'dii-sets neededfor"-their innerportions to lie' sideby side "on shoulderi98,\and^-butone `Vofthem will' beidescribed.l Each yarmi (-Figl 7) -hasacentral 'circular portionll100 tapering outwardly andi folded -intoaei'i-bbedportionl*101"^with a degreelofff-setfsicient'to1 bring the ribbedv portions ofilthe severali arms llntoline while -the- -centralportions ceive fit-hefpawleande isupivotally gsecuredy totheiarmh-by lugs 108 fitting into grooves 108 in the latter. It has a nib 109 bent outwardly so that it may serve as an anchorage for a compression spring 110 (Fig. 4) which is anchored at the other end to a nib 111 (Fig. 8) on the pawl 104. The spring at all times presses the plate towards the friction ring 95 and the pawl towards the toothed disk 90, for the purpose of engaging which the pawl is provided with a tooth 112. If the pawl is permitted to remain in engagement with toothed disk 90 the arm will be carried along by the latter at a speed proportional to the speed of the sheet to be folded, with the plate 107 sliding over the friction ring. lf the tail of the pawl is depressed, as it is (by mechanism to be described) while the sheet is passing over a feeler, the pawl will be held out of engagement with the teeth in disk 90. The movement of the arrn will then be under the control of friction ring 95, which travels at a speed either 1/2 or 2/3 of the speed of disk 90 depending on the setting of the clutch shaft 62.

For the purpose of controlling the tail 105 of the pawl a circular track is provided, formed in two parts one of which is stationary and the other movable axially. The stationary part 113 (Figs. 12 and 14) is bent up from a segment 114 which is secured to a wall of the box 50 by screws 115 and spacers 116 (Fig. 12) and has a ilaring portion 117 (Fig. 14), the purpose of which will be described. All of the arms stacked up within the stationary section have their pawls held out of contact with the ratchet 90. The movable part 113 is formed from the turned up edge of a cup plate 119 cut away to receive the stationary track as shown in Pig. 14, and mounted for axial motion on sleeves 120 (Fig. 4) surrounding headed screws 121. Springs 122 under the heads of the screws keep the cup plate normally against a ball spacer disk 123. This disk has a flange 124 on which it can turn on sleeve 96 as a bearing, and has three annular ilanges 125 (Fig. 4) by which it can retain and control three hardened balls 126. The balls rest in conical depressions in hardened blocks 127 sunk into bosses 129 formed in the casing walls. Since the two halves of the casing are made identical these bosses appear in both, although they have a function only in one. Depressions 130 in the cup plate 119 act as seats for the balls. When the ball spacer disk 123 is rotated slightly the balls ride up on the sides of the recesses in blocks 127 to shift the cup plate 119 toward the pawl 104, engaging its tail as shown at 118 in Fig. 4.

For rotating the ball spacing disk it has a radial extension slotted at 131 (Fig. 13) to receive a pin 132 (Fig. 12) riveted to the long arm 133 of a channel member 134 held by a set screw 135 to a rock shaft 136 extending through a wall of the casing. The rock shaft is oscillated as will be described by contact of a feeler with the work to be folded. When work is passing the feeler the balls are rolled out of their sockets and the cup plate brought into engagement with the tail of the pawll to cause the finger 99 to be driven by the friction plate only.

The short arm 137 of a channel 134 is provided with wings 138 which alternately engage the sides of successive control ngers and release them in the manner of an escapement. It is an important feature of the present invention that the escapement is self-locking, so that the arms cannot push it out of the Way. In prior constructions trouble has been experienced due to this cause, since frequently several arms, all being acted on by the continuously driven friction ring 95, are piled up behind they escapement which is thus subjected to considerable pressure. In the present case the line of pressure passes practically through the center of rock shaft 136.(Fig. and thus does not tend to rotate that shaft to'free the control arm from wing 138.

Rock shaft 136 passes through the control box Wall, and outside the latter carries a U-shaped member 1,39 with one long arm 140. The shaft 136 is attened at 141 to receive a set screw 142 passing through the member 139. A rod 144 is hooked at 145 to the long arm 140, and at its other end is secured by a set screw 146 -to an A-frame 147 welded to a bar 143 pivoted in stationary brackets 149. Bar 148 carries a set of feelers 150 extending between the spaced tapes of the overlying sets 20 and 22, and also` an arm 151 resting against an eccentric 152 by which the feeler can be shifted to inactive position when desired. Depression of the feelers by the fabric causes angular motion of rock shaft 136 with a consequent turning of the ball spacer disk 123 to which it is coupled by channel 134 and the pin and slot connection 131, 132. The balls 126 are thus caused to ride up on the conical sides of the blocks 127 and shift the cup plate 119 so that its track portion 118 will engage the tail of pawl 104. The fingers 99 are then driven by the friction disk 105. When the feelers are released by passage of the goods the springs'122 cause the balls to return to their seated position so that the pawl is released by the cup plate and re-engages the ratchet wheel 90. It may be noted that the shifting of the ngers 150 by the eccentric to inactive position will cause the same initial action as described except that the feeler is not released by the passage of goods and the linger 99 released by the escapement travels around under the drive of friction disk 95 until it strikes the remaining fingers piled up against the eccentric.

In normal half-folding a finger 99 is driven by friction during all the time the feeler is held by the work, its speed being proportional to half that of the work. When the end of the work releases the feeler the arm can thus be considered as being located at a point corresponding to the mid-point of the work. The nger is then coupledto the full speed disk 90 and travels at a rate proportional to the speed of the work until the mid-point of the work is opposite a folder. Slightly before this the finger will be adjacent a spring 155 (Fig. 14) mounted on a folder-actuating pawl 156 and pushes the latter against the teeth 157 of a ratchet 158 mounted on and keyed as at 159 to the constantly rotating shaft 56. The rachet teeth are preferably slightly undercut, so that as soon as the pawl engages a tooth it will be held there until its tail 160 strikes a pin 161 which is iixedly mounted in the casing 57. During the period of engagement between the pawl and the constantly rotating ratchet the pawl is moved bodily and its movement is utilized to cause the operation of the folder.

The pawl is pivoted at 162 to a pair of disks 163 which are flanged at 164 so as to ride freely on the hub of ratchet 158. One disk is pinned at 165 to a sleeve 166 rotatable on shaft 56 and projecting through the casing. Outside the latter a bell crank 167 is keyed to the sleeve 166 at 168, being rocked from the full to the dotted line position of Fig. 1 by the swing of the pawl. Associated with each control box, and serving the 4single lane of the machine in which the box is located, is a folder 169 composed of fingers projecting from the forward edge of a rectangular frame 170. The fingers are spaced so as to enter the spaces between adjacent pairs of tapes which transport theV work pieces through the machine. Each frame 170 is connected by pivot bolts 171 to the tops of four rocking arms 173 pivoted at their lower ends.

The bell crank 167 is connected by a compression spring coupling to a bar 181 secured to the rear pair of rocking arms 173. VPreferably this connection includes a bolt and slot 182 so that the pivot point can be moved up or'down relative to the arms, since in this manner the position of the folding fingers at the end of their active stroke can be controlled. Another pivot bolt 183 is adjustable in a slot 184 formed in a bracket 185secured to the channel 53. A tube 186 is attached to the pivot, and a piston 187 within it is coupled by a rod 188 to the lower arm of the bell crank. A compression spring 189 lies between the piston and the upper end of the tube, so that the bell crank is normally held in the position for which the pivot bolt 183 is adjusted. Since this is the position in which the pawl 156 is awaiting activation by the end of a control arm 99 the adjustment 183, 184 serves as a means of controlling the initiation of the folding operation. In other words, it serves to regulate the position of the fold relative to the exact center (or third point) of the sheet. Its value is mainly that the position of the first fold determines the position of the hidden edge of the fabric after the second fold is made. In cases where the edges of the fabric are not entirely true this adjustment permits the hidden edge to be drawn back so that there is no danger of it being turned over when the second fold is made.

It was mentioned previously that the stationary track 113 was terminated in an outwardly flaring end 117. This serves to engage the tails of the pawls 104 without shock and to free the pawl tooth 118 from the teeth on disk 9C". A shoulder 208 near the base of the Haring end 117 serves to engage the pawl tails 105 if accidentally the shaft 56 is rotated the wrong Way, as it easily might be in setting up or adjusting the machine. Were some such safety device not used a plurality of control arms might be forced around within cup plate 118, and driven positively by ratchet 9) in the wrong direction with consequent damage to the machine.

What we claim is:

l. A timer for an automatic folding machine wherein at goods to be folded are carried by tapes, and a foldA ing blade tucks the goods between a pair of folding rolls comprising a plurality of rotatably mounted control arms having a common axis of rotation, a coaxial positively driven rotary positive drive member for intermittently driving said control arms, a coaxial rotary friction drive member for intermittently driving said control arms, means for driving the friction drive member optionally at one-half or two-thirds the speed of the positive drive member and a self locking escapement at a fixed point of the periphery of the arc of rotation of said control arms for releasing said arms one at a time to be driven by said driving means, said arms having means engageable by said escapement, means for actuating said escapement to release an arm when the front edge of the article reaches a xed point, said last means including a feeler for said at goods positioned between the tapes ahead of the blade, means for maintaining an arm in driving engagement with the friction member while the article is passing said feeler and in driving engagement with the positive driving member thereafter, and a mechanical trip for starting the folder actuating means, said trip being activated by passage of the arm past a xed point along the periphery of the arc of rotation of said arms and spaced a predetermined distance from said escapement, and said escapement comprising a member oscillated by the passage of the article to be folded and carrying a pair of wings shifted by the oscillation respectively into and out of the path of an arm, the line of pressure between the arm and the wing passing substantially through the axis of oscillation.

2. A timer for an automatic folding machine wherein fiat goods to be folded are carried by tapes, 'and a folding blade tucks the goods between a pair of folding rolls comprising a plurality of rotatably mounted control arms having a common axis of rotation, a coaxial positively driven rotary positive drive member for intermittently driving said control arms, a coaxial rotary friction drive member for intermittently driving said control arms, means for driving the friction drive member at a speed having a definite ratio to the speed of the positive drive member, and a self locking escapement at a fixed point of the periphery of the arc of rotation of said control arms for releasing said arms one at a time to be driven by said driving means, said arms having means engageable by said escapement, means for actuating said escapement to release an arm when the front edge of the article reaches a fixed point, said last means including a feeler for said iiat goods positioned between the tapes ahead of the blade, means for'inaintaining an arm in driving engagement with the friction member while the article is passing said feeler and in driving engagement with the positive driving member thereafter, and a mechanical trip for starting the folder actuating means, said trip being activated by passage of the arm past a fixed point along the periphery of the arc of rotation of said arms and spaced a predetermined distance from said escapement, and said escapement comprising a member oscillated by the passage of the article to be folded and carrying a pair of wings shifted by the oscillation respectively into and out of the path of an arm, the line of pressure between the arm and the wing passing substantially through the axis of oscillation.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 

